Adam, the climber of the UAE-Emirates formation of Tadej Pogacar, won ahead of his twin brother on Saturday in Bilbao.
Adam Yates undoubtedly went through all the possible feelings by winning the first stage of the Tour de France, Saturday July 1, in Bilbao. Surprise first, seeing that the only one to follow him to dive to the finish was his twin brother (and competitor), Simon (Jayco-AlUla). Joy, then, by picking up her first bouquet on the Tour. Then, no doubt, a little frustration at having won her against the man he’s known since his first day.
First present to accompany Tadej Pogacar on the last climb of the day, that of Pike, the Briton stepped aside to launch the Slovenian. To finally emerge better in the descent and surprise the competition. He took advantage of a regroup after the summit and the marking between the favorites, all fearing his leader. Nobody wanted to make the effort, except… his brother.
“He asked me this morning what we were going to do and I didn’t tell him. He’s still a competitor! On the last hill, Tadej told me to go and it paid off,” explained Adam Yates on arrival. “JI had to seize the opportunity to get ahead of Pogacar and Vingegaard who are fast in the sprint, explains for his part his twin brother. I started with him, it was tight but I had cramps in the final. Unfortunately, he got me, but there will be others.”
Winner for the first time on the Tour, the 30-year-old Briton deprived his brother of a third bouquet, he who had pocketed two in four days in 2019. “We fought so many times growing up, then in training. I have a fantastic relationship with my brother, so I’m very happy for him“, dropped the defeated twin in front of his bus upon arrival. “I think Adam has more regrets about winning in front of his brother than emotion about winning. Because we know the chemistry that there is between twins”noted Mauro Gianetti, Adam’s manager at UAE.
Kings of missed opportunities
Reputed to be very sturdy over a week, the two Yates suffer from a lack of popularity with the general public for their discretion, but also because of a dirty habit: that of always having a day off during the Grand Tours, making them drop in the standings. Simon Yates succeeded in defeating the Indian sign by winning the Tour of Spain in 2018, which Adam never succeeded in, often coming close (4th in the 2016 Tour and the Vuelta 2021) and now more often a teammate than a leader on the three-week races.
“From the outside, you don’t see him too much because he’s shy, but he’s a very nice guy. He laughs a lot. He’s an extraordinary personality in a team because he’s simple but very professional. in his training, his mentality, his preparationreveals his manager. It is very easy to manage. Since the start of the season, he has always been in very good condition and we knew he could be a protagonist of this Tour..”
Inducted co-leader of the UAE-Emirates formation alongside Tadej Pogacar, Adam frustrated his brother for sure, but he made one happy: “I’m sure Tadej is happier with a victory for a teammate than one for himself! I’m sure, I know him”, launches its sports director Joxean Fernandez Matxin. “Tadej and Adam get along well, they are good friends”, confirms Mauro Gianetti. Third behind the siblings on Saturday, Tadej Pogacar also raised his arms as if he had won the stage himself by beating the other leaders in the sprint. White jersey on the shoulders, the latter has relieved a little pressure and will not have to assume the responsibilities of the yellow jersey.
A yellow jersey that Adam Yates will wear for the second time, after having already worn it for four days in 2020. “It’s a little different, the last time was the year of Covid-19, and Alaphilippe had received a penalty (20 seconds of disbursement for refueling in the last 20 kilometers). Now, I really feel like I deserve it. I didn’t go far several times, and not only on the Tour de France, but I sometimes had crashes.” Sunday, he will wear this tunic that his brother has never had the opportunity to wear. One more reason for Adam Yates to have conflicting feelings.